Diamonds that are made of human remains

‘Family heirloom’ takes on a literal meaning when grandma becomes the actual diamonds she’s passing on. Swiss startup ‘Algordanza’ turns cremated human remains into prized diamonds via the same way actual diamonds are created, through heat and pressure. But instead of having to wait thousands or millions of years, clients of the company only have to wait three months. You might believe the concept is cooky, but it’s actually not too farfetched.

Real diamonds are composed of pressurized carbon atoms, much like humans who are roughly 18 percent carbon. Put in the same process of heating and pressurizing, and you have diamonds that are basically indistinguishable from one another, except the other one might have more sentimental value attached to it.

The company says that they process the ashes of 800 to 900 people every year. Different people turn into different colours, the most common being bluish in hue, others turn out yellow, black, or white. Guess we really are unique from one another, even in diamond form?

Rinaldo Willy, the founder and CEO of Algordanza, says that most of his customers are either Japanese or relatives of the deceased, with a few already having future arrangements to turn themselves into prized possessions. If you want to turn a loved one into an expensive one, the cost of creating a human diamond falls between the ranges of $5,000 to $22,000.